Caribbean and Barbados holidays will be on the agenda of topics at this year's 11th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism as a panel of experts examine ways to enhance tourism in the region.

The Sustainable Tourism Conference (STC-11) is being organised by the CTO and the Barbados Ministry of Tourism and is scheduled to take place from 9 – 12 May 2010 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Barbados.

This year’s conference theme is Keeping the Right Balance: Creating Opportunities Through a World Class Sustainable Tourism Product, and will focus on enhancing and sustaining tourism through eco-friendly Barbados hotels and cultural Barbados holidays.

The panel of experts will study the subjects of sustainable Barbados holidays and will offer advice and make recommendations to the delegates attending the conference.

"The panel of highly qualified and experienced presenters will discuss how the Caribbean can differentiate and enhance its tourism product based on the region's rich and diverse tangible and intangible heritage.

"They will share lessons learned from various projects in which they have been involved and make recommendations, based on their experiences, on how the Caribbean can maximize the potential of heritage tourism."

Dr Keith Nurse, Director of Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services, form the University of West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, will be a panellist at the conference and will be discussing his findings of a study highlighting the performance of heritage tourism products and sites in the region which will entice more visitors to take Barbados holidays.

Dr Nurse said:

"For many Caribbean countries the key challenge is how to reconcile the need for a diverse product portfolio of visitor attractions and ‘things to do' that builds on the region's unique image, brand and selling points whilst at the same time taking into account the rights of citizens to gain access to their heritage, sustaining the local eco-systems and respecting the need for income generating activities."

Panellists will also discuss strategies to encourage communities to get involved in sustainable tourism projects with the help of a presentation by the Travel Foundation who focus on creating links between economic sectors and tourism with practical programmes in a bid to attract more travellers to go on Barbados holidays.